An electrical connector, known from U.S. Pat. No. 3,760,335, comprises, an insulating housing and conductive signal contacts. The contacts are grouped in pairs, with an insulative divider of the housing separating one contact of the pair from the other contact of the pair. Multiple pairs of the contacts are distributed along the insulative divider. The pairs of contacts are especially suitable for connection to twisted pair wires used in the communications industry for data and voice transmission. Each pair of the twisted pair wires are connected to one pair of the contacts. To shield the connector from ESD, electrostatic discharge, a conductive metal shell surrounds the insulative housing of the connector. For example, a shielded connector is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,158,481.
A desirable shielded connector provides ESD protection for the electrical contacts of the connector during mating connection of the connector with another, mating connector. During mating connection of two mating connectors, an electrostatic voltage charge on one or both of the connectors should be discharged to ground electrical potential via the shield on one or both of the connectors, whereby the voltage charge is shunted away from electrical contacts in the connectors.